Electrochromic structure and method of separating electrochromic structure

ABSTRACT

An electrochromic structure can include a substrate and an electrochromic residue disposed on the substrate. The electrochromic structure can include an electrochromic stack on the substrate. A process can be used to separate the structure. The process can include forming a filament in the substrate and applying a thermal treatment to the substrate. Forming a filament can be performed by applying a pulse of laser energy to the substrate. In a particular embodiment, a filament pattern including a plurality of filaments can be formed in the substrate. The substrate can include mineral glass, sapphire, aluminum oxynitride, spinel, or a transparent polymer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application of and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/951,575,entitled “ELECTROCHROMIC STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF SEPARATINGELECTROCHROMIC STRUCTURE,” by Jean-Christophe GIRON and Li-Ya YEH, filedApr. 12, 2018, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/484,585, filed Apr. 12, 2017,entitled “ELECTROCHROMIC STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF SEPARATINGELECTROCHROMIC STRUCTURE,” naming as inventors Jean-Christophe GIRON andLi-Ya YEH, all of which are assigned to the current assignee hereof andincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is generally related to electrochromic structuresand methods of separating electrochromic structures.

BACKGROUND

Glass is used in electrochromic devices and other window structures,such as a windshield and automotive windows. Typically, electrochromicstacks are formed on mother glass, which is then cut into desired shapesto form individual stacks having a glass substrate. However, formingdifferently shaped substrates often causes significant waste of themother glass, because wider gaps between stacks are needed to preventdamage to and ensure success of separation of glass substrates.Oftentimes, additional treatments to cut edges of glass substrates, suchas polishing, are used for safety reasons and to improve edge strength.When strengthened (e.g., heat-strengthened or chemical-strengthened) ortempered glass is desired for an electrochromic device, glass is nottempered or strengthened until after the individual electrochromicstacks are formed, because cutting strengthened or tempered glass oftenfails, and thus, has been deemed difficult in the art. The industrydemands improvement in glass cutting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and are not limited in theaccompanying figures.

FIG. 1 includes an illustration of a cross sectional view of a structurein accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 includes an illustration of a flow chart including a process inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 includes an illustration of a cross-sectional view of a structurein accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 4 includes an illustration of a structure including a filamentpattern in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 5 includes an illustration of a top view of a structure inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 includes an illustration of a top view of a structure inaccordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 7 includes an illustration of a top view of a structure inaccordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 8 includes an illustration of a perspective view of a portion of anexemplary structure in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 9 includes an illustration of an exemplary insulated glass unit inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 11 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 12 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 13 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit in accordance with an embodiment.

Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustratedfor simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures maybe exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improveunderstanding of embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description in combination with the figures is provided toassist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The followingdiscussion will focus on specific implementations and embodiments of theteachings. This focus is provided to assist in describing the teachingsand should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope orapplicability of the teachings.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having,” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is notnecessarily limited only to those features but may include otherfeatures not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive-or and not to an exclusive-or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

The use of “a” or “an” is employed to describe elements and componentsdescribed herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give ageneral sense of the scope of the invention. This description should beread to include one or at least one and the singular also includes theplural, or vice versa, unless it is clear that it is meant otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. The materials, methods, andexamples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. To theextent not described herein, many details regarding specific materialsand processing acts are conventional and may be found in textbooks andother sources within the glass, laser cutting, and electrochromic arts.

Embodiments are related to a process of separating a structure includinga substrate. The process can include forming a filament within thesubstrate. The filament can extend within the substrate in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate. In aparticular embodiment, a filament pattern can be formed including aplurality of filaments spaced apart from one another. The process canalso include applying a thermal treatment to the substrate to separate aportion of the substrate from the remaining portion along the filamentpattern. The process can allow formation of a smooth new edge on eachportion. From the top view, the new edge can include a curvature, andparticularly, include a small radius (e.g., at most 5μm), or an acuteangle, or a combination thereof, as desired by the application. Inanother particular embodiment, the substrate can include thermallysemi-tempered glass, and the process can allow separation of a portionof the thermally semi-tempered glass without chipping the edge orcausing another adverse effect.

Other embodiments are related to an electrochromic structure including asubstrate and an electrochromic residue. The structure can furtherinclude a filament in the substrate. The filament can extend in adirection substantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate. Thestructure may be separated into portions along a filament patternincluding the filament. Each potion can include an electrochromic stackand be used as an electrochromic device without additional treatment tothe edge of the portion, such as grinding or polishing.

According to an embodiment, a structure can include a substrate that canbe substantially transparent to a laser wavelength. Exemplary substratecan include mineral glass, sapphire, aluminum oxynitride, spinel, or atransparent polymer. An example of the polymer can include polyimide,polyethylene, napthalate (PEM), polyethylene teraphthallate (PET),aramid, or the like. An exemplary mineral glass substrate can bestrengthened or tempered glass, such as thermally or chemicallystrengthened glass, semi-tempered glass, ultra thin glass, float glass,laminated glass, or non-tempered glass, such as borosilicate glass andsoda lime glass, or any combination thereof. In this disclosure, theterms, strengthened and tempered, are used interchangeably. In aparticular embodiment, the substrate can include semi-tempered glass,particularly thermally semi-tempered glass that can have surface stressof 30 MPa to 60 MPa. The process disclosed herein can be used intreating various substrates and may be particularly suitable forthermally semi-tempered glass.

According to a further embodiment, the substrate can have a thickness ina range between 0.02 mm to 20 mm. In another instance, the thickness canbe particularly suitable for deposition of electrochromic devices,automotive window films, or for windshield, or the like. The thicknessmay vary depending on the type of the substrate. Using glass as anexample, for an ultrathin glass substrate, the thickness may be in arange of 20 μm to 300 μm. For thermally semi-tempered glass, thethickness can be at least 1.6 mm and at most 20 mm. Chemical-temperedglass can have the thickness of at least 0.55 mm and at most 1.6 mm, andnon-tempered glass at least 0.3 mm and at most 6 mm. In a particularembodiment, the substrate can be thermally semi-tempered glass havingthickness in a range of 1.6 mm to 20 mm. In another embodiment, thesubstrate can be a motherboard having a size of at least 1100 mm×1500mm. In yet another embodiment, the structure can include a motherboardand a plurality of electrochromic stacks disposed on the motherboard.

According to an embodiment, the structure can include an electrochromicstack disposed on the substrate. According to a further embodiment, theelectrochromic stack can be an electrochromic device preform, which canbe separated into portions to form individual electrochromic devices. Ina particular embodiment, the electrochromic stack can be a solid stateelectrochromic device. For instance, the electrochromic stack caninclude an ion storage layer, an electrochromic layer, and optionally anion conductive layer.

FIG. 1 includes an illustration of a cross-sectional view of anexemplary electrochromic structure 100 including an electrochromic stack110 of layers 122, 124, 126, 128, and 130 overlying the substrate 101.The structure 100 can include transparent conductive layers 122 and 130that can include a conductive metal oxide or a conductive polymer.Examples can include a tin oxide or a zinc oxide, either of which candoped with a trivalent element, such as Al, Ga, In, or the like, or asulfonated polymer, such as polyaniline, polypyrrole,poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), or the like. The transparentconductive layers 122 and 130 can have the same or differentcompositions.

The layers 124 and 128 are electrode layers, wherein one of the layersis an electrochromic (EC) layer and the other of the layers is an ionstorage layer (sometimes called a counter electrode layer). The EC layercan include an inorganic metal oxide electrochemically active material,such as WO₃, V₂O₅, MoO₃, Nb₂O₅, TiO₂, CuO, Ir₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, Co₂O₃, Mn₂O₃,HfO₂, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, Sb₂O₃, or any combination thereof and have athickness in a range of 50 nm to 2000 nm. In another embodiment, the EClayer can include a binary compound, a ternary compound, or a quaternarycompound including the oxides noted herein. The ion storage layer caninclude any of the materials listed with respect to the electrochromiclayer and may further include nickel oxide (NiO, Ni₂O₃, or combinationof the two), and Li, Na, H, or another ion and have a thickness in arange of 80 nm to 500 nm. In a particular embodiment, the ion storagelayer can include an oxide including Li, Ni, and another elementincluding Nb, Ti, Hf, Zr, Sb, or V.

An ion conductive layer 126 (sometimes called an electrolyte layer) isoptional, is between the electrode layers 124 and 128, and has athickness in a range of 20 microns to 60 microns. The ion conductivelayer 126 allows ions to migrate therethrough and does not allow asignificant amount of electrons to pass therethrough. The ion conductivelayer 126 can include a silicate with or without lithium, aluminum,zirconium, phosphorus, boron; a borate with or without lithium; atantalum oxide with or without lithium; a lanthanide-based material withor without lithium; another lithium-based ceramic material; or the like.

After reading this specification, skilled artisans will appreciate thatother compositions and thicknesses for the layers 122, 124, 126, 128,and 130 can be used without departing from the scope of the conceptsdescribed herein.

Each of the transparent conductive layers 122 and 130 include portionsremoved, so that the bus bars 144 and 148 are not electrically connectedto each other. Such removed portions are typically 20 nm to 2000 nmwide. In a particular embodiment, the bus bar 144 is electricallyconnected to the electrode layer 124 via the transparent conductivelayer 122, and the bus bar 148 is electrically connected to theelectrode layer 128 via the transparent conductive layer 130. The busbars 144 and 148 include a conductive material. In an embodiment, eachof the bus bars 144 and 148 can be formed using a conductive ink, suchas a silver frit, that is printed over the transparent conductive layer122. In another embodiment, one or both of the bus bars 144 and 148 caninclude a metal-filled polymer, such as a silver-filled epoxy. In aparticular embodiment (not illustrated), the bus bar 148 can include theconductive-filled polymer that is disposed over the transparentconductive layer 130 and spaced apart from the layers 122, 124, 126, and128. The viscosity of the precursor for the metal-filled polymer may besufficiently high enough to keep the precursor from flowing throughcracks or other microscopic defects in the underlying layers that mightbe otherwise problematic for the conductive ink.

The structure 100 can also include busbars 144 and 148. The busbars 144and 148 can be coupled to the transparent conductive layers 122 and 130,respectively.

According to a further embodiment, the structure can further include aresidue on the substrate. The residue can be from a portion of theelectrochromic stack. Referring to FIG. 1, a residue 104 is disposed onthe substrate 101 and spaced apart from the electrochromic stack 110.According to a further embodiment, the residue may include a compositionof a layer or a combination of layers of the electrochromic stack, suchas tungsten oxide (W0 ₃), molybdenum oxide (MoO₃), niobium oxide(Nb₂O₅), titanium oxide (TiO₂), copper oxide (CuO), iridium oxide(Mn₂O₃), vanadium oxide (V₂O₃), nickel oxide (Ni₂O₃), NiO, cobalt oxide(Co₂O₃), a silicate, or any combination thereof. According to a furtherembodiment, the residue may result from a process of patterning theelectrochromic stack. For instance, the process may include removing aportion of an electrochromic stack from a surface area of the substrate.The removal operation may leave some electrochromic residue in thesurface area while the majority, such as more than 95% or more than 99%,of the electrochromic stack potion is removed. Removal of a portion ofthe electrochromic stack can also result in formation of a scribinglane, which can allow a filament pattern to be formed in the substratealong the scribing lane.

According to a further embodiment, the structure can include at leastone filament in the substrate. In another embodiment, the structure caninclude a filament pattern including a plurality of the filamentsextending in the direction substantially parallel to the thickness ofthe substrate. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the structure 100 includesfilaments 102 extending in the direction substantially parallel to thethickness of substrate 101. Each of the filaments 102 can be part of afilament pattern. The filament pattern can facilitate separation of thestructure, as disclosed in detail below.

According to an embodiment, the structure can be separated into portionshaving various shapes and sizes. The separation can be performed suchthat portions can include part of the substrate and part of theelectrochromic stack disposed on the part of the substrate. In someapplications, the electrochromic stack may include a layer having acomposition that can adversely affect separation of the structure. Itmay be desired to remove a portion of the electrochromic stack to exposesome surface area of the substrate to allow a filament pattern to beformed. For instance, the structure may include a layer that can absorblaser energy, and removal of a portion of the electrochromic stack canbe performed prior to using laser to form the filament pattern.

FIG. 2 includes an illustration of a flow chart including a process 200.As disclosed herein, the process may start from block 201, removing aportion of the electrochromic stack from the substrate. In certainapplications, the process may include forming an electrochromic stackand then removing a portion of the stack as illustrated in FIG. 2.Formation of an electrochromic stack can be conducted using thetechniques known in the art, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,372,610 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,154, both of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

According to a further embodiment, a portion of the stack can be removedby etching, laser ablation, or the like. In a particular embodiment,removal can be performed by ablation, such as laser ablation. Ifdesired, a plurality of discrete portions of the stack can be removed toallow the structure to be separated into more than two portions.According to a further embodiment, the removed portion can have acertain width that can facilitate formation of filament patterns. Thewidth can be the minimum distance between the adjacent edges of theseparated stack. In an embodiment, the width can be at least 2 mm toallow laser filamentation to be performed. In another embodiment, thewidth can be at most 10 mm, such as at most 7 mm or even not greaterthan 3 mm, to reduce waste on removed materials and substrate withoutadversely affecting formation of the filament pattern. According toanother embodiment, the removed portion can have a length that is thesame as or smaller than a dimension of the substrate (e.g., width orlength), such as at least 21 mm, such as 57 mm, at least 420 or at least1020 mm. In another instance, the length may be at most 2130 mm, such asat most 1320 mm, or at most 240 mm. In a further instance, the lengthcan be within a range including any of the minimum and maximum valuesdisclosed herein, such as within a range of at least 21 mm and at most2130 mm.

According to another embodiment, the gap between the separated stack canbe the scribing lane to guide formation of a filament pattern. Forinstance, a laser beam can be directed along the scribing lane. In someapplications, a residue may be formed on the scribing lane, and it maybe desired to direct the laser beam to avoid the residue, as the residuemay have an adverse effect on laser filamentation.

According to a further embodiment, the busbars can be disposed close tothe scribing lane. For instance, a distance between the busbar and thescribing lane can be at least 1 mm and at most 3 mm. The distance canhelp to prevent adverse effect on busbars caused by performing laserfilamentation and separation of the structure and reduce waste of theelectronic stack and substrate. The distance can be the minimum distancebetween the scribing lane and the outer edge of the busbar that isclosest to the scribing lane.

According to a further embodiment, the structure can include a coatingdisposed on the substrate. An exemplary coating can include a lowemissivity coating, an indium tin oxide coating, a silver-based coating,or a combination thereof. In applications, the coating can adverselyaffect laser filamentation, and a portion of the coating can be removedprior to formation of a filament. FIG. 3 includes an illustration of astructure 300 including a coating 302 and a substrate 301. A residue 303is disposed on the substrate 301 as a result of removal of a portion ofthe coating 302. According to another embodiment, the coating canconsist of a single layer. According to another embodiment, the coating302 can include a plurality of layers (not illustrated). After readingthis disclosure, a skilled artisan will understand that the processdisclosed herein can be used to separate other types of structuresincluding a layer or coating disposed on the transparent substrate.

According to a further embodiment, the structure can include a layer ora stack overlying the substrate, and the layer or stack can betransparent to a laser wavelength. The process 200 can start from block202, as removing a portion of the layer or the stack may not necessary.In some applications, the structure may consist of the substrate, andthe process 200 can start from block 202.

Referring back to FIG. 2, at block 202, a filament pattern can be formedalong the scribing lane. Forming a filament pattern can include formingat least one filament in the substrate. According to another embodiment,the filament pattern can include a plurality of the filaments. Accordingto a particular embodiment, a laser with pulse burst mode can be used toform a filament pattern. For instance, a pulse of laser energy can beapplied to the substrate to form a filament at a desired position, and aplurality of pulses can be applied to form the filament pattern.

As used herein, the term, filament, is intended to refer to void formedin the substrate by laser filamentation. After reading this disclosure,a skilled artisan would understand that embodiments related to afilament or a void can be applied to filaments of a filament pattern.

According to an embodiment, the void can extend in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate. As usedherein, the term, substantially, is intended to mean, the extendingdirection of the void and the thickness of the substrate may form anangle within ±10°. The void can have a certain length that canfacilitate separation of a portion of the substrate from the remainingportion. The length can extend in the direction substantially parallelto the thickness of the substrate. For instance, the length of the voidcan be similar to or smaller than the thickness of the substrate. Inanother instance, the length of the void can be at least 0.3 mm, such asat least 0.7 mm, or at least 2.3 mm. The length of the void can vary asthicknesses of substrates change to suit different applications. In yetanother instance, the void length can be at most 5.8 mm, such as at most5.1 mm, at most 3.8 mm, or at most 2.3 mm. In a further instance, thelength of the void can be within a range including any of the minimumand maximum values noted herein, such as within a range of at least 0.3mm and at most 5.8 mm. In a particular embodiment, the void length canbe the same as the thickness.

According to another embodiment, the void can have a width. In someapplications, the width can be a diameter. In some applications, thewidth can be formed such that it can be substantially constant over 80%of the length of the void, such as within 20% of the maximum width ofthe void. The maximum width is the width having the largest value asmeasured at positions along the length of the void. According to anembodiment, the width of the void can be at least 0.5 μm, such as atleast 0.7 μm or at least 1.3 μm. In a further embodiment, the width ofthe void can be at most 5 μm, such as at most 4.6 μm or at most 3.9 μm.The width of the void can be within a range including any of the minimumand maximum values disclosed herein, such as within a range of 0.5 μm to5 μm. According to a further embodiment, the void can have an aspectratio of length:width. The aspect ratio can be at least 10:1, such as atleast 15:1, at least 30:1, at least 50:1, or at least 100:1. In anotherembodiment, the aspect ratio can be at most 3000:1, such as 2500:1,2000:1, 3000:1, or 1500:1. The aspect ratio can be within a rangeincluding any of the minimum and maximum values disclosed herein, suchas within a range of at least 10:1 and at most 3000:1.

According to another embodiment, a plurality of laser pulses can beapplied to the substrate to form the void with a desired length.Particularly, for the substrate having a thickness of at least 2 mm andup to 16 mm, a plurality of pulses can be applied. For instance, whenforming a filament pattern in a substrate having a thickness of at least2 mm, more than one pass of the laser pulses can be applied to thesubstrate to form the voids of the filament pattern. In the first pass,the laser pulses can be focused close to the upper surface along thescribing lane to start formation of the voids. After the first pass, thevoids may not have the desired lengths. In a subsequent pass, the laserpulses may be focused at a different depth to extend the length of eachvoid. The process can be repeated until the filament pattern iscompleted. Comparing to laser pulses of a single-pass process, laserpulses of multiple passes can have larger focus tolerance. For instance,the laser can be focused below the formed filaments or closer to thebottom surface of the substrate to deepen the voids. In an embodiment, adistance between different focus positions can be 0.8 mm to 1 mm suchthat an optimal overlap of filamentation between passes can be achieved.In another embodiment, more than one laser pulse may be used withoutmoving the laser until a filament is formed. In a further embodiment,energy of the laser can be increased to facilitate formation of thevoids with desired length. For instance, a single laser pulse can beapplied with increased energy to form the filament. In another instance,laser energy can be increased for each subsequent pass. In someapplications, laser pulses may be applied from the same surface of thesubstrate (e.g., either the upper or lower surface) until the void isformed. Alternatively, both surfaces can be treated simultaneously toform the void. For instance, two lasers can be aligned and used to applylaser energy to the upper and lower surfaces simultaneously to form avoid.

According to a particular embodiment, the laser can be ultra-short pulselaser, such as having a pulse duration time of at most 10 picosecondsand at least 1 picosecond. Due to the Kerr effect, a laser beam canpropagate in the substrate without diffraction, and propagation can besustained by cycles of focusing and defocusing of laser pulses, until avoid having the desired length is formed.

According to an embodiment, the laser can have a pulse burst frequencyof at least 5 kHz and at most 30 kHz and a peak power of at least 350 Wand at most 1020 W. The laser can have a wavelength of at least 800 nmand at most 2200 nm and a focus diameter of at most 5 μm, such as atmost 2 μm, or at least 0.5 μm. The laser can have a speed at least 100mm/s and at most 1000 mm/s. In a particular application, the laser cangenerate a top-hat beam, have a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse burstfrequency at 15 kHz, and a peak power of 700 W.

A filament pattern may be formed by generating filaments along ascribing lane. According to an embodiment, the filaments can be disposedat substantially constant spacing along a scribing lane marked on thesubstrate to form the pattern. As used herein, “substantially constantspacing” is intended to mean the distance between neighbor filaments canbe within 10% of the average distance of the filament pattern. Thedistance between neighbor filaments can be the linear distance betweenthe centers of the filaments along the surface of the substrate. Theaverage distance can be determined by dividing the sum of all distancesbetween neighbor filaments by the total number of spacing included inthe filament pattern. According to an embodiment, a filament pattern caninclude an average distance of at least 0.5 μm and at most 5 μm.

According to an embodiment, a filament pattern can include at least onefilament having a length smaller than the thickness of the substrate. Ina particular embodiment, all of the filaments can have a length smallerthan the thickness of the substrate. According to another embodiment,the filament pattern can have an average length, which can be determinedby dividing the sum of the lengths of filaments by the number of thefilaments. The average length can be at least 0.5 mm and at most 6 mm.In a further embodiment, the length of each filament in a filamentpattern can be substantially the same, such as within 10% of the averagelength.

According to an embodiment, forming a filament pattern can includeapplying a plurality of passes of laser energy along the scribing lane.For instance, after the first pass of laser pulses, partially formedfilaments may be disposed along the scribing lane, and the second ormore passes may be applied to complete the formation of the filamentshaving a desired length. Particularly, for a substrate having athickness greater than 2 mm, applying a plurality of passes of laserenergy may be desired to form filaments extending through the fullthickness of the substrate. In another embodiment, filaments may beformed sequentially such that forming a second filament may not bestarted before completion of the first filament, and a plurality ofpulses can be applied to form each filament as needed by theapplication.

FIG. 4 includes an illustration a portion of an exemplary structure 400.The structure includes a substrate 410 having an upper surface 420 andlower surface 430. A filament pattern 401 is formed including aplurality of filaments 402 within the thickness of the substrate 410.The filaments 402 extend in the direction substantially parallel to thethickness of the substrate and are spaced apart from one another.

According to a further embodiment, a plurality of filament patterns canbe formed on the same substrate. FIGS. 5 to 7 include illustrations ofnon-limiting, exemplary layouts of scribing lanes on a motherboard.Filament patterns can be formed along the scribing lanes to facilitateseparation of the substrate into a plurality of portions. FIG. 5includes a top view illustration of a structure 500 including asubstrate 510 having scribing lanes 501 and 502 marked on the topsurface, each of which encloses an irregular shape. Filaments can beformed along the scribing lanes 501 and 502 to form the filamentpatterns outlining the portions in those shapes. The scribing lane 506is the outline of the electrochromic stack.

According to an embodiment, a filament pattern can include a linearline, a curvy line, or a combination thereof. The lines may intersect toform an angle (e.g., an acute, obtuse, right angle, or any combinationthereof). For example, the filament pattern can include an angle, aradius, or any combination thereof. In another instance, as desired, afilament pattern can include a radius of at most 5 μm, such as at most 2μm. Filament patterns can be formed for separation of portions havingcomplicated shapes suitable for different applications, such aswindshield, side windows, or a moon roof. As illustrated in FIG. 6, afilament pattern can be formed to outline a regular geometric shape.From the illustrated top view, the filament pattern can have the shapeof a triangle 602 including an acute angle and a right angle. Furtherfilament patterns can be formed having the other outlined shapes as inthe illustrated top view.

According to an embodiment, filament patterns can be entirely spacedapart from one another, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, anda minimum distance between two neighbor filament patterns can be at most5 mm and at least 3 μm. The minimum distance between two neighborfilament patterns is the linear distance along the substrate surfacebetween the centers of the two closest filaments from the neighborpatterns. The minimum distance between neighbor filament patterns canhelp to allow formation of separate filament patterns and reduce wastedareas between the filament patterns.

According to another embodiment, filament patterns may overlap ifdesired by the application. For instance, at least one filament may bepart of different filament patterns. FIG. 7 includes a top viewillustration of a structure 700 including a substrate 710 with scribinglanes 701 and 702, which overlap at 703 and 704. According to anembodiment, a filament pattern may be formed from the surface having theelectrochromic stack, from the other surface, or simultaneously fromboth surfaces. In a particularly embodiment, laser energy can be appliedalong the scribing lane from the surface with the electrochromic stackor a coating.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the process can continue to 203, applying athermal treatment to separate the substrate. According to an embodiment,thermal treatment can be applied by using a laser, a heating source,such as vapor or lamp, a cooling fluid, or any combination thereof. In aparticular embodiment, laser can be used to apply a thermal treatment tothe areas associated with the filament pattern, such as along thescribing lane. The laser can include CO laser, CO₂ laser, or acombination thereof. In a particular example, the thermal treatmentlaser can generate continuous wave. The thermal treatment laser can havea wavelength of at least 5 μm, a power of at least 200 W, a focusdiameter at least 3 mm, and a speed of at least 100 mm/s.

When using a thermal treatment laser, a laser beam can be focused alongthe scribing lane to generate a temperature difference along the lateraldirection of the substrate. In a further embodiment, cooling fluid(e.g., cooling air) may be used in combination with laser to facilitategeneration of a suitable temperature gradient and thermal stress thatcan cause the separation of the portions. In another embodiment,increasing humidity after laser filamentation may facilitate thermaltreatment and separation. For instance, water vapor may be applied tothe substrate (e.g., by a nozzle) along the scribing lane afterformation of the filament pattern and prior to thermal treatment.

According to a further embodiment, if forming a filament pattern closeto an edge of the substrate is desired, a certain minimum distancebetween the filament pattern and the edge can facilitate separationalong the filament pattern. Particularly, if the filament patternincludes a sharp angle that is close to the edge, have the minimumdistance between the edge and the center of the closest filament canfacilitate application of the thermal treatment and formation of cutedges with reduced sharpness and improved edge strength. For instance,the minimum distance can be at least 20 μm. According to anotherembodiment, the minimum distance may be at most 200 μm to help to reducewaste.

According to another embodiment, the thermal treatment and laserfilamentation can be performed simultaneously. For instance, the thermaltreatment laser can be directed to follow but spaced apart from thefilamentation laser along the scribing lane. In other instances, thermaltreatment laser (e.g., CO or CO₂) can be used after formation of thefilament pattern is completed. According to another embodiment, thermaltreatment can be applied along different filament patternssimultaneously using a plurality of lasers.

According to an embodiment, applying the thermal treatment can result inseparation of a portion of the substrate from a remaining portion.Separation can take place along the filament pattern. Particularly,separation may not need mechanical breaking. More particularly, afterseparation, further additional treatment to new edges, such as grindingor polishing, may not be necessary. Mechanical breaking is used in theart to separate glass substrate. However, mechanical force would likelycause chipped edges and would not allow formation of complex shapes,such as those having an acute angle or small radius of curvature. Aftermechanical breaking, grinding or polishing, is more likely needed tosmooth the edges.

According to another embodiment, thermal treatment for certainsubstrates may not be needed to separate the substrate. For instance, achemical-tempered glass substrate can be separated spontaneously uponcompletion or during formation of a filament pattern.

According to an embodiment, a cut edge can be formed on the separatedportion. Each filament can be divided into two channels, and a cut edgecan include a plurality of channels. According to an embodiment, thestructure can be separated into a plurality of portions, and eachportion can include a plurality of channels on the new edges, as aresult of separation of the filaments. According to a furtherembodiment, the cut edge can have edge strength of at least 100 MPa,such as at least 130 MPa, at least 170 MPa, and at least 240 MPa. Inanother instance, the edge strength can be at most 380 MPa, such as 330MPA or 290 MPa. In a further instance, the edge strength can be within arange including any of the minimum and maximum values disclosed herein,such as within a range of at least 100 MPa and at most 380 MPa. In thisdisclosure, the edge strength is tested in accordance with DIN EN1288-1/3 (2000-09), except that the test is performed on a separatedsubstrate having the size of 150 mm×50 mm and thickness of glass 0.7 mmto 4 mm, and the distances of the loading rods and the supporting rodsare 20 mm and 100 mm, respectively.

FIG. 8 includes an illustration of a separated portion 800 including acut edge 810 including a plurality of channels 811. The channels 811 canextend substantially along the thickness direction of the substrate 801.The portion 800 includes a stack 802 disposed on the substrate 801. Thestack 802 can be the electrochromic stack as illustrated in FIG. 1 andinclude the busbars disposed as illustrated in FIG. 1. According toanother embodiment, the stack 802 can include a coating, such as a widowcoating or a stack of window coatings. According to a furtherembodiment, a separated portion, such as 800, can be an individualelectrochromic device. According to still a further embodiment, theseparated portion can be a switchable device or part of a switchabledevice. According to another embodiment, a separated portion can befurther separated into smaller portions by repeating the processdisclosed herein.

According to a particular embodiment, an electrochromic device caninclude a single substrate having a plurality of channels on at leastone edge of the substrate. The channels can be spaced apart from oneanother and extending in the direction that is substantially parallel tothe thickness of the substrate. According to a further particularembodiment, the electrochromic device can be solid state.

According to an embodiment, the electrochromic device can have edgestrength of at least about 100 MPa, such as at least 130 MPa, at least170 MPa, and at least 240 MPa. In another instance, the electrochromicdevice can have an edge strength of at most 380 MPa, such as 330 MPa or290 MPa. In a further instance, the edge strength can be within a rangeincluding any of the minimum and maximum values disclosed herein, suchas within a range of at least 100 MPa and at most 380 MPa.

According to another embodiment, the electrochromic device can belaminated to a separate substrate, such as an outer substrate (e.g.,laminate glass pane), to form an insulated glass unit. In an embodiment,the individual electrochromic devices can have the similar size as theouter substrate. In another embodiment, the individual electrochromicdevices can be smaller than the outer substrate in at least onedimension. In another embodiment, the individual electrochromic devicescan be 0.5 mm to 3 mm shorter than the outer substrate in at least onedimension, such as 1 mm to 2.0 mm shorter in at least one dimension, orin all dimensions.

FIG. 9 includes an illustration of an exemplary insulated glass unit900. The insulated glass unit 900 includes an outer separate substrate930 and an electrochromic device including the electrochromic stack 920and substrate 910 (channels not illustrated). A solar control film 940is disposed between the stack 920 and the outer substrate 940, and aninterlayer 950 is dispose between the solar control film 940 and thestack 920. The interlayer 950 may be a lamination adhesive. The interlay950 can include a thermoplastic, such as polyurethane, ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) or polyvinyl butyral (PVB). A seal 941 is disposed betweenthe substrate 910 and the outer substrate 930 and around the stack 920.The seal 941 can include a polymer, such as polyisobutylene. The outersubstrate 930 is coupled to a pane 960. Each of the outer substrate 930and pane 960 can be a toughened or a tempered glass and have a thicknessin a range of 2 mm to 9 mm. A low-emissivity layer 942 can be disposedalong an inner surface of the pane 960. The outer substrate 930 and pane960 can be spaced apart by a spacer bar 943 that surrounds the substrate910 and stack 920. The spacer bar 943 is coupled to the outer substrate930 and pane 960 via seals 944. The seals 944 can be a polymer, such aspolyisobutylene. The seals 944 can have the same or differentcomposition as compared to the seal 941. An adhesive joint 945 isdesigned to hold the outer substrate 930 and the pane 960 together andis provided along the entire circumference of the edges of the outersubstrate 930 and the pane 960. An internal space 970 of the IGU 900 mayinclude a relatively inert gas, such as a noble gas or dry air. Inanother embodiment, the internal space 970 may be evacuated. Otherdesigns for IGUs may be used if needed or desired for a particularapplication, and some other exemplary designs of IGUs are illustrated inFIGS. 10 to 13. The IGUs of FIGS. 10 to 13 can include components thatare the same as those of the insulated glass unit 900. The samecomponents are referenced using the same reference numbers.

FIG. 10 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit 1000. The insulated glass unit 1000 includes an electrochromicdevice including the electrochromic stack 920 and substrate 910(channels not illustrated). In a particular embodiment, the substrate910 can be annealed glass having a thickness of 2.2 mm. The interlayer950 is dispose between the outer separate substrate 930 and theelectrochromic stack 920.

FIG. 11 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit 1100. The insulated glass unit 1100 includes a similarelectrochromic device to that of the insulated glass unit 1000, exceptthat the electrochromic stack 920 is opposite the outer separatesubstrate 930. The interlayer 950 is disposed between the outer separatesubstrate 930 and the substrate 910.

FIG. 12 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit 1200. The insulated glass unit 1200 includes an outer separatesubstrate 1210 and an electrochromic stack 920 disposed on the outerseparate substrate 1210. The outer separate substrate 1210 can betempered or semi-tempered glass. The edges 1240 of the outer separatesubstrate 1210 include channels 1241 resulted from separation along afilament pattern.

FIG. 13 includes an illustration of another exemplary insulated glassunit 1200. The insulated glass unit 1200 includes the outer separatesubstrate 1210 and the electrochromic stack 920 disposed on the outerseparate substrate 1210. The edges of the outer separate substrate 1210are covered by an edge protection 1260. In an embodiment, the edgeprotection can include a suitable coating that can improve edgeresistance against damage of the substrate. In another embodiment, theedge protection can include a material including a polymer, metal, acomposite material, or a combination thereof. In still anotherembodiment, the edge protection can be applied to the edges utilizingwet coating, extrusion, encapsulation, or the like.

The present disclosure represents a departure from the art. Certainembodiments are related to processes utilizing the combination of laserfilamentation and thermal treatment to precisely separate a structureinto portions having various shapes and sizes. The structure can includethermally semi-tempered glass, which is deemed difficult to cut in theart. The processes can be particularly suitable for forming complexshapes, such as shapes including small radiuses, triangles, roundedcorners, or any combination thereof, as separation can be performedprecisely. In addition, using the combination of laser filamentation andlaser thermal treatment, a gap having a width as small as 2 mm can beformed between electrochromic stacks to allow separation of thestructure, which can help to reduce waste of the structure. Furthermore,as separation can result in edges having high quality and mechanicalstrength, further treatment, such as grinding or polishing, may not benecessarily needed, and separated portions can be used directly.

Many different aspects and embodiments are possible. Some of thoseaspects and embodiments are described below. After reading thisspecification, skilled artisans will appreciate that those aspects andembodiments are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of thepresent invention. Exemplary embodiments may be in accordance with anyone or more of the ones as listed below.

Embodiment 1. An electrochromic structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a first filament in the substrate extending in a direction substantiallyparallel to a thickness of the substrate; and

an electrochromic residue on the substrate.

Embodiment 2. The electrochromic structure of embodiment 1, comprising afilament pattern including a plurality of filaments, including the firstfilament, each filament extending in a direction substantially parallelto the thickness of the substrate.

Embodiment 3. A method, comprising:

removing a portion of an electrochromic stack from a substrate; and

forming a first filament in the substrate extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to a thickness of the substrate.

Embodiment 4. The method of embodiment 3, wherein the portion has alength and a minimal width of at least 2 mm.

Embodiment 5. The method of embodiments 3 or 4, wherein forming thefirst filament is performed by applying a pulse of laser energy to thesubstrate.

Embodiment 6. The method of embodiments 3 or 4, wherein forming thefirst filament is performed by applying a plurality of pulses of laserenergy to the substrate.

Embodiment 7. The method of any one of embodiments 3 to 6, comprisingforming a filament pattern including a plurality of filaments, includingthe first filament, each filament extending in a direction substantiallyparallel to the thickness of the substrate.

Embodiment 8. The method of embodiment 7, wherein the substrate has athickness of at least 1 mm, and wherein formation of at least onefilament is performed by application of at least one pass of laserenergy.

Embodiment 9. The method of any one of embodiments 3 to 8, comprisingapplying a thermal treatment to the substrate to separate a portion ofthe substrate from a remaining portion of the substrate.

Embodiment 10. The method of any one of embodiments 3 to 9, comprisinggenerating a thermal gradient in an area associated with the filamentpattern in the substrate.

Embodiment 11. The method of any one of embodiments 8 to 10, whereinapplying the thermal treatment comprises using a laser, a vapor, a lamp,or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 12. The method of embodiment 11, wherein the laser comprisesCO laser, CO2 laser, or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 13. The method of any one of embodiments 8 to 12, whereinapplying the thermal treatment comprises applying a cold fluid to anarea associated with the filament pattern in the substrate.

Embodiment 14. The method of any one of embodiments 8 to 13, comprisingforming a plurality of filament patterns in the substrate, each filamentpattern including a plurality of filaments extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate, wherein atleast two neighboring filament patterns are spaced apart by a distanceof at most 5 μm.

Embodiment 15. The method of any one of embodiments 8 to 14, comprisingforming a plurality of filament patterns in the substrate, each filamentpattern including a plurality of filaments extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate, wherein atleast two neighboring filament patterns are spaced apart by a distanceof at least 3 μm.

Embodiment 16. The method of any one of embodiments 8 to 15, comprisingseparating a portion of the substrate from a remaining portion of thesubstrate along the filament pattern.

Embodiment 17. A method comprising: forming a first filament in asubstrate extending in a direction substantially parallel to a thicknessof the substrate; and

applying a thermal treatment to separate a portion of the substrate froma remaining portion of the substrate.

Embodiment 18. The electrochromic structure or the method of any one ofembodiments 1 to 17, wherein the filament has an aspect ratio of lengthto width of at least 10:1 and at most 3000:1.

Embodiment 19. The electrochromic structure or the method of any one ofembodiments 2 to 18, wherein the filament pattern comprises at least onefilament having a length smaller than the thickness of the substrate.

Embodiment 20. The electrochromic structure or the method of any one ofembodiments 2 and 8 to 19, wherein the filament pattern comprises aradius of at most 5μm, an acute angle, or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 21. The electrochromic structure or the method of any one ofembodiments 1 to 20, wherein at least one electrochromic stack isdisposed on the substrate, the electrochromic stack comprising an ionstorage layer, an ion conductive layer, an electrochromic layer, or anycombination hereof.

Embodiment 22. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 1,2, and 18 to 21, comprising a plurality of filament patterns, eachincluding a plurality of filaments extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate.

Embodiment 23. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 1,2, and 18 to 22, wherein the electrochromic residue comprises a portionof an electrochromic stack.

Embodiment 24. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 2and 18 to 23, comprising a filament pattern including a set of filamentsorientated adjacent to an edge of the substrate.

Embodiment 25. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 2and 18 to 24, wherein the substrate comprises an edge, wherein at leasta portion of the edge is defined by a plurality of channels that arespaced apart from one another, and wherein the edge has a core stress ofat most 15 MPa.

Embodiment 26. The electrochromic structure of embodiment 25, furthercomprising a busbar that is spaced apart from the edge, wherein aminimal distance between the edge and the busbar is at least 1 mm.

Embodiment 27. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 1,2 and 18 to 26, further comprising an electrochromic stack, wherein theresidue is spaced apart from the electrochromic stack by a distance ofat least 2 mm.

Embodiment 28. The electrochromic structure of any one of embodiments 2and 18 to 25, further comprising an edge protection disposed along anedge of the substrate.

Embodiment 29. The electrochromic structure of embodiment 28, whereinthe edge protection comprises a material including a polymer, a metal, acomposite material, or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 30. A structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a first filament in the substrate extending in a direction substantiallyparallel to a thickness of the substrate; and

a film overlying the substrate, wherein the film comprises a compositionselected from the group consist of a low emissivity coating, indium tinoxide coating, and a silver based coating.

Note that not all of the activities described above in the generaldescription or the examples are required, that a portion of a specificactivity may not be required, and that one or more further activitiesmay be performed in addition to those described. Still further, theorder in which activities are listed is not necessarily the order inwhich they are performed.

Certain features that are, for clarity, described herein in the contextof separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a singleembodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity,described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be providedseparately or in any subcombination. Further, reference to values statedin ranges includes each and every value within that range.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed above with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that maycause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeature of any or all the claims.

The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described hereinare intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of thevarious embodiments. The specification and illustrations are notintended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of allof the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use thestructures or methods described herein. Separate embodiments may also beprovided in combination in a single embodiment, and conversely, variousfeatures that are, for brevity, described in the context of a singleembodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination.Further, reference to values stated in ranges includes each and everyvalue within that range. Many other embodiments may be apparent toskilled artisans only after reading this specification. Otherembodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such that astructural substitution, logical substitution, or another change may bemade without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly,the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather thanrestrictive.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrochromic structure, comprising: asubstrate; a first filament in the substrate extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to a thickness of the substrate; anelectrochromic stack on the substrate, wherein the electrochromic stackcomprises: a transparent conductive layer including a first portion anda second portion spaced apart from the first portion; and anelectrochromic layer disposed over the first portion and the secondportion of the transparent conductive layer; a first bus bar disposed onthe first portion of the transparent conductive layer; a second bus bardisposed on the second portion of the transparent conductive layer. 2.The electrochromic structure of claim 1, comprising a filament patterncomprising a plurality of filaments including the first filament, eachfilament extending in a direction substantially parallel to thethickness of the substrate.
 3. The electrochromic structure of claim 2,wherein the filament pattern comprises filaments having an aspect ratioof length to width of at least 10:1 and at most 3000:1.
 4. Theelectrochromic structure of claim 2, wherein the filament patterncomprises at least one filament having a length smaller than thethickness of the substrate.
 5. The electrochromic structure of claim 2,wherein the plurality of filaments comprise a set of filamentsorientated adjacent to an edge of the substrate.
 6. The electrochromicstructure of claim 2, comprising a plurality of filament patterns, eachincluding a plurality of filaments extending in a directionsubstantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate.
 7. Theelectrochromic structure of claim 1, wherein the electrochromicstructure comprises one or more solid-state electrochemical device. 8.The electrochromic structure of claim 1, wherein the electrochromicstack further comprises an ion storage layer, an ion conductive layer,or any combination thereof overlying the transparent conductive layer.9. The electrochromic structure of claim 1, wherein the transparentconductive layer is the first transparent conductive layer, wherein theelectrochromic structure comprises a second transparent conductive layeroverlying the ion storage layer, the ion conductive layer, or thecombination thereof.
 10. The electrochromic structure of claim 1,wherein the substrate comprises glass, sapphire, aluminum oxynitride,spinel, or a transparent polymer.
 11. An insulated glass unit,comprising: an electrochromic device comprising an electrochromic stackon a substrate, wherein the electrochromic stack comprises: atransparent conductive layer; an electrochromic layer disposed over thetransparent conductive layer; and a first bus bar disposed on a firstportion of the transparent conductive layer; a second bus bar disposedon a second portion of the transparent conductive layer, wherein thefirst portion of the transparent conductive layer is spaced apart fromthe second portion of the transparent conductive layer; and wherein thesubstrate comprises an edge, wherein at least a portion of the edge isdefined by a plurality of channels that are spaced apart from oneanother extending substantially along a thickness of the substrate. 12.The insulated glass unit of claim 11, further comprising an edgeprotection applied to the edge of the substrate, wherein the edgeprotection comprises a polymer, a metal, a composite material, or acombination thereof.
 13. The insulated glass unit of claim 11, whereinthe first busbar is spaced apart from the edge, wherein a distancebetween the edge and the first busbar is at least 1 mm.
 14. Theinsulated glass unit of claim 11, further comprising an outer substrateand an interlayer disposed between the outer substrate and theelectrochromic device.
 15. The insulated glass unit of claim 14, furthercomprising a solar control film disposed between the interlayer and theouter substrate.
 16. The insulated glass unit of claim 11, wherein theelectrochromic device is solid-state.
 17. The insulated glass unit ofclaim 11, wherein the substrate comprises more than one edge, wherein atleast a portion of one other edge is defined by a plurality of channelsthat are spaced apart from one another extending substantially along thethickness of the substrate.
 18. A method, comprising: removing a portionof an electrochromic stack from a substrate, wherein the electrochromicstack comprises a transparent conductive layer and an electrochromiclayer disposed over the transparent conductive layer; disposing a firstbus bar on a first portion of the transparent conductive layer;disposing a second bus bar on a second portion of the transparentconductive layer, wherein the first portion of the transparentconductive layer is spaced apart from the second portion of thetransparent conductive layer; and forming a first filament in thesubstrate extending in a direction substantially parallel to a thicknessof the substrate.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming thefilament is performed by applying a pulse of laser energy to thesubstrate.
 20. The method of claim 18, comprising applying a thermaltreatment to the substrate to separate a portion of the substrate from aremaining portion of the substrate.